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U.S. urges citizens to leave Russia after Irkutsk warning
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow urged its citizens to leave Russia and avoid traveling there after a person working at a plague research institute in the Irkutsk region died last week. While Russian authorities denied that an active public health crisis was underway, the World Health Organization said no plague cases had been recorded in Irkutsk.
The death last week of a person working at a plague research institute in the Irkutsk region prompted the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to issue a health alert on Tuesday. The embassy urged U.S. citizens to leave Russia and avoid traveling there.
The alert called on those in the affected area to follow instructions from local health authorities and stay away from the affected facilities. Citizens experiencing fever or respiratory symptoms were also advised to seek medical attention without delay.
The embassy said its ability to provide assistance to U.S. citizens outside Moscow was limited. The statement also said there had been reports that some hospitals imposed quarantine measures following the worker’s death.
No plague cases recorded in Irkutsk
Russian authorities have not publicly confirmed that the person working at the anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk had contracted plague. The death increased concerns that a possible outbreak could be occurring in the region.
The World Health Organization said no plague cases had been recorded within Irkutsk. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for information to be shared in a timely, complete and transparent manner.
Washington seeks more information
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia should share more information about the incident. The U.S. Department of State also made an official diplomatic démarche requesting an explanation from the Russian government.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he planned to discuss the matter in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State for Russia has been in effect since January 2022, shortly before the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Moscow warns against rumors
Russian authorities denied that an active public health crisis was underway in the country and said the situation was under control. The Kremlin urged the public to disregard online rumors and follow only statements from the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that some reports about the incident contained false information. Peskov also said Russia had notified the World Health Organization about the death of the worker at the plague research institute in Siberia in accordance with established procedures.
Responding to reports that the United States had lodged an official complaint with Russia over the handling of the incident, Peskov reiterated that the public should rely on information published by Russia’s health oversight agency.
Russia’s Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing also said, in response to Trump’s offer of assistance, that the United States could focus on its own health problems. The agency said measles cases were increasing in the United States and that a fatal plague case had been recorded in New Mexico in June.
Source: Moscow Times
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